I do research about the city and rhetoric, and thought that I'd share this with y'all. If you aren't a university student it's probably going to be difficult for you to get this article, but here's the citation/abstract. They be writing about YOU!
Critical Studies in Media Communication
Volume 29, Issue 1, 2012
DetroitYES! and the Fabulous Ruins Virtual Tour: The Role of Diffused Intertextual Production in the Construction of Alternative Cityscapes
Abstract
The following essay explores the role of intertextuality and interactivity in the construction of an “alternative cityscape” for the city of Detroit within a web community called DetroitYES! Using qualitative content analysis, we examined different portrayals of the city in [[1) the Fabulous Ruins of Detroit virtual tour found on the DetroitYES! website, and [[2) discussion threads posted by members of the DetroitYES! web community. The analysis revealed that the intertextual components of the virtual tour alluded to Detroit as a ruins similar to Athens and Rome, while members of the web community added their own images and information about the city through the interactive forums. The intertextual allusion imbued the city with a nostalgic history that transformed the abandoned industrial architecture into the lost city of a forgotten empire worthy of exploration, discussion, and debate. Such a nostalgic vision was constantly in flux as members of the web community challenged aspects of the virtual tour through discussion threads. The analysis demonstrates that the simultaneous use of intertextuality and interactivity within key aspects of a web community can create the potential for “diffused intertextual production,” which can build a brand of civic collaboration that re-imagines physical environments. In the case of Detroit and DetroitYES!, such diffused intertextual production allows for the generation of nostalgia and the shaping of architecture, which in turn influences a “participatory civic identity” for members of the online community, and their performances within Detroit.
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